Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was returned to Adiala Jail on Friday after undergoing a court-ordered medical examination at a public hospital in Islamabad.
The 73-year-old politician was initially ordered by the Supreme Court to receive medical checks at the private Shifa International Hospital after his lawyers raised concerns about his health.
However, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan was taken to a public hospital instead because of security concerns at the private facility. He said a team of doctors, including an ophthalmologist, cardiologist and physician, examined Khan and declared him medically fit.
“After the completion of this entire process, he was transferred back to Adiala Jail,” Tarar said in a post on X.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party criticised the decision to change the hospital specified by the court. Senior party leader Sohail Afridi said the authorities had disregarded the Supreme Court’s directive and announced plans to file a contempt of court case.
Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, who is a doctor, said she was dissatisfied with the examination. She claimed that only his eye was checked and that her brother complained about a lack of books and human contact.
She also alleged that Khan had been subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, describing the situation as “torture.” His personal physician, Faisal Sultan, said he had waited at Shifa International Hospital before being informed that Khan would not be brought there.
Security was tightened around the hospital, with hundreds of police officers deployed and roads leading to the facility blocked. Supporters had also gathered outside despite the court’s warning against public gatherings connected to Khan’s medical treatment.
Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, are serving 17-year prison sentences in a case they have described as politically motivated. The former prime minister, who led Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, has faced several legal cases since his removal from office.
His arrest in May 2023 triggered nationwide protests, some of which became violent and resulted in hundreds of arrests. His next court hearing is scheduled for September 16.
